beheld them fatally verified by the event. It is not my design here to trace minutely the origin and progrefs of the Papal ufurpations and corruptions; fuffice it to say, that the Bishops of Rome, merely from the circumftance of local fituation, as refiding in that grand Capital of the Empire, began very foon to harbour views of ambition; claiming to themselves not only a pre-eminence over all other Bishops, but farther arrogating fuch a supremacy in Spirituals, as the Roman Emperors exercis'd in Temporals. When that Empire was weaken'd by the memorable divifion into the Eaftern and Weftern, and the Imperial refidence remov'd from Rome to Constantinople; then did the Bishops of the latter City maintain a violent ftruggle with those of the former for this affum'd Supremacy; to which both had an equal Right, that is in fact no Right at all. But when afterwards the Northern Barbarians totally destroy'd the Western Empire, and Rome, from being Mistress of the world, became fubject to the dominion of those fierce invaders; then was the foundation laid of that ftupendous ufurpation which foon fpread over all Europe, and involv'd both the minds and bodies of men in compleat subjugation and absolute slavery to a new Antichristian Power, moft ftrangely and incongruously blending fpiritual dominion with temporal. For thefe Con

querors

querors being ignorant and illiterate beyond conception, and having for the most part embrac'd Christianity either before, or foon after their conquests, Superftition and Bigotry follow'd clofe in the train of their victories, and foon gave ample scope to the ambition and avarice of the Roman Bishops. An attempt to point out the progreffive steps and degrees of their fucceffive encroachments would lead me to an unwarrantable length; and befides

forms no part of my prefent plan, which is only

to fhew you what actually were the corruptions of the Church of Rome at the time when this Nation with some others feparated from her Communion. These are neceffary to be explain'd, in order to vindicate our Church from the charge brought againft us by the Papists on one hand, for what they call a needlefs and unjustifiable feparation; and by the Sectaries on the other hand, for what they call a partial and imperfect feparation: each of which is inconfiftent with the character of the Church of Chrift in the Text.

Let us then take a furvey of the Romish or Popifh Religion, as it was for fome centuries profefs'd by almost all Europe, and among the rest by our Ancestors in this Ifland; and is at this time adher'd to by several, and thofe very confiderable Christian Pow

C2

Powers: for its tenets and principles are in fact the fame now, as they were between two and three centuries ago; however fome of the most abfurd and unwarrantable of them may be palliated or glofs'd over by its more learned profeffors in these more enlighten'd times. In the first place then the Bishop of Rome, or as he is most usually ftil'd, the Pope, not only claims a fupremacy and abfolute authority over all other Bishops, and over all spiritual perfons whatsoever; but alfo over all temporal Monarchs, and their respective dominions. Pretending to be the immediate fucceffor of Saint Peter, and the fole Vicar, or rather Viceroy of Christ upon earth, he has frequently both arrogated and exercis'd the power of creating and depofing Kings; of granting and taking away kingdoms; of abfolving Subjects from their Allegiance, and authorizing them to murder their Sovereigns. To imprefs the idea of his transcendent fuperiority over earthly Kings, while the ufual mode of ceremonial approach to their prefence was with bended knee, and kiffing hands, that to the Pope was by proftration of body, and kiffing his feet: nay fome of the mightiest Monarchs of Germany and France has he compell'd to the abject and humiliating degradation of holding the ftirrup while he mounted his mule. Add to this his

ftill more infolent claim to abfolute infallibility; and

in

t

in confequence thereof of garbelling and moulding the Christian Faith at pleasure; adding new articles or fuperfeding old ones; and utterly invalidating the Scriptures of truth, partly by his own arbitrary interpretations, and partly by afferting the fuperiority of his own dictatorial mandates to the written word.

Having attain'd this fummit of power and greatnefs, we find him sticking at no innovation, however unwarrantable, or even contrary to the word of God, as taught by Chrift and his Apostles, in order to fecure and strengthen this ufurp'd power; to flatter his Ambition, and pamper his avarice. To this end a main object of his policy was to secure in his intereft the whole body of the Clergy, who through the profound ignorance and abject fuperftition of the times were become by far the most numerous, powerful, and opulent body in every State of Christendom. Accordingly they' were prohibited to marry; that being depriv'd of each tender domeftic connection, their attachments to their Country might be thereby weaken'd; and depending entirely on the Pope for preferment they might be ever ready to fide with him, in oppofition to the civil Sovereignties of their respective Nations. To a deep laid scheme for the exaltation

of the authority and confequence of the Clergy may be trac'd the original of that monster of impiety and abfurdity, fo well known by the name of Tranfubftantiation. For Chrift having inftituted the Sacrament of the Eucharift, both as a commemoration of his death, and as a fæderal rite for the conveyance of the benefits of that facrifice once offer'd by Him on the cross for the fins of the whole world; the Church of Rome taught that their Mafs, fo they call the bleffed Eucharift, was itself an actual perpetually-renew'd facrifice; that on the pronouncing of the words of confecration by the Prieft, the elements of bread and wine inftantaneously chang'd their nature and fubftance, and became the real Body and Blood of Chrift: thus blafphemously arrogating to the Clergy' the power of creating God; to fay nothing of the shocking abfurdity of fwallowing Him too. Still to keep the Laity at a farther diftance, they denied them a participation of the Cup, in direct violation of the Redeemer's command, Drink ye All of this. They multiplied the Sacraments from two, the number inftituted by Chrift, to feven: they prohibited the Laity from reading the Scriptures: they enjoin'd all the Services of the Church to be perform'd in an unknown tongue: they authoriz'd the worship of Images, particularly Crucifixes, or reprefentations of Christ's

Body